Teaching Controversial Issues In Classrooms: Evidence and Ethics

Teachers today face intense pressure to avoid politically controversial issues in their classrooms. But according to our guest, Diana Hess, author of The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education, the need to do this is great. America’s founders talked about how essential education is to a democracy and in this discussion, Hess talks about what the research she did with co-author Paula McEvoy reveals: that kids without civic education become poor citizens. And that taking sides and civilly and respectfully presenting your case are skills that serve the individual and society through a lifetime.